Applied for SSDI-Denied-bummed out

Hi,
I know that a large percentage of applicants are denied the first time, but the denial still stings. First I was upset, then I got mad and called a lawyer. I am trying to think of all the questions I need to ask him--my appt. with him is on Friday.

I have several conditions that make it unbearable to work, physical as well as
Bipolar I which I take a ton of meds for and have had hospitalizations due to the illness. I know I have the medical proof for my case, so I was really ticked when they denied it after getting my medical records and having only 4 days to view them. There was over 600 pages, so I know they did not look at them.

Anyway, thanks for listening to me. I love this board--it has been a lifesaver

i am surprised to hear they denied you with your diagnosis & amount of med records. do you still work at all ? get your questions in order for the atty, and let him file for reconsideration for you.. good luck

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

I was denied on the first go round and on auto reconsideration. At that point I hired a lawyer and won at the AJL level. I also am bipolar and had several hospitalizations. My doctor even told me and my husband during the inital process that if I didn't have my husband as my support system that he would have me institutionalized.

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

I'm sorry about your denial. Keep fighting and like dismama I felt like I was going to do something to ease my pain but the only reason was because my love for my family. That whole process was so draining and you probly need to have a support system to help you along the way in addition to a good lawyer. Did you get your DR. to fill out that RFC form it helps alot to have your treating dr. to fill it out I turned it in at reconderation stage but every case is different. ask your lawyer about that form . Thats where I got mine. Keep your chin up and keep that fighting spirit. This board helped me a lot. I would also have some one to counsel you because that also helped me but I realized no one could help me I had to deal with this and be strong but it was so hard. It was probly the worse thing I had to go thru and I have been thru alot in my life time things no child should have to endur. But by the grace of God and support mentaily I some how made it. This board helps a lot . Please keep comming there are people who are very knowledgeable to help you. God Bless You

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

Yes, it does sting when you get a denial ... but you can not give up! After six denials over 2 1/2 years, I was finally approved five months ago.

It is good you called a lawyer. Mine did everything for me and was so nice, I wish I could have paid her double.

I know a lot of people will keep saying 'hang in there' .... but it is true. You must not give up. It takes time, and having a lawyer on your side will help a great deal. Good luck, and be sure to come back a let us know how the appointment with the lawyer went.

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

The best thing to get is a letter from your own Dr stating that you are unable tp perform any type of work period.
Your Dr knows you best and hopefully you have been seeing the same one for awhile.
Have your Dr fill out the RFC forms for both physical and mental.
The Drs that the SSA have you see dont know you at all and how in the world can they be so quick to say that you are not disabled after only seeing them one time?
Also, write down your daily activities of the things you can no longer do, what medicines you are taking and how those meds effect you. Do the meds make you sleep, hazy, use the bathroom frequently and ect...
Those same Drs will ask you if you do daily house cleaning, yard work and ect...
because they take that info as to see if you are cabable of taking care of yourself on a daily basis. Oh, you can cook 3 meals a day and clean house so you shouldnt have a problem finding gainfull employment as a cook or a house keeper.
That is why they asks those questions to see if you can do daily living tasks.
The best thing to do is write a self report about your daily activities, your meds and how they effect you, have those RFC forms filled out by your own Drs and most of all is have your own Drs state in a letter that you are unable to perform any work at all.
Those SSA Drs use those same RFC forms but with them, they use the forms against you and this is after you only met those Drs 1 time in your whole life.

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

alove4coupons- are you still working? if you are, this is probably one reason you were denied. even though you have been hospitalized several times for you mental health issues, it could boil down to how long you were in each time and how quickly you re-cooped from it etc.. ssa looks for any reason at all to deny you.
let me tell you this- when i filed my second ssdi claim in feb 2010, and got the denial letter- they stated i could do my past job, and they only noted the diagnoses i had listed the day i filed. within 3 weeks after i filed, i had more diagnoses made along with more limitations put on me by my neuro & pain dr & those records were sent in asap. it is like they did not look at any of the huge stack of records i submitted between filing and denial .
now here is the kicker- my previous work for 19 years in a manufacturing plant, with the last 4 1/2 years being in the distribution center lifting, pulling, pushing boxes that weigh half my weight or better (i only weighed 125 at the time) all day long, already had records submitted of lumbar spine injury, and submitted new mri of lumbar and cervical damage & nerve conduction study quickly after filing- i can still do my past work ????
it is very very frustrating and added stress is an understatement !

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

I also recommend taking a look at the (SSDI BLUE BOOK) sections 12:00 thru 12:06 which shows a list of mental impairments and what the SSA must determine to see if you meet the requirments within mental impairments. 12:06 will list the requirments that must be fullfilled.
The book basically says you must meet a number of qualifying mental issues listed to be approved for mental health issue. It will be of great help to you if you decide to do a self report and know exactly what the SSA is looking for for qualifiers and disqualifiers for mental impairments. You want to lists all the qualifiers and avoid listing the ones that will not help you.
I think that the Drs that the SSA have us all go see, they must have a copy of the blue book and they list all the disqualifiers about us so that we can be denied but again thats my opinion. You just want to obtain all the evidence that will win your case and avoid the things that will hurt your case. A self report about yourself and listing things that should be considered as qualifiers will help you more then you know.

Last edited by tlwright; 01-12-2011 at 11:51 PM.

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alove4coupons (01-16-2011)

I do not work--I have been living off of my student loans, grants, income tax return, and holiday/birthday money. I live extremely frugally and go to the food pantry. I had to quit school in August because there was no way I could pass classes with all the meds I was on, plus the 20 hrs. of therapy a week and subsequent hospitalizations. I was going to school online.

I did see the lawyer today, and he said i have a decent chance of getting SSDI, and it would probably take up to a year, maybe longer. He said do not go to school full time, do not work (which i would find extremely challenging anyway). He said if I could handle it, I could take 2 classes. He said my main barrier is my age (39). He has taken my case, but I now know I will be living in income housing and enrolling in the food stamp program. I am on my last financial leg, and am preparing for a long battle.

What I have discovered about SSA is not about what type of disability a person has, it is about the severity. and how it effects a persons over all daily functioning .
I had been in hospitals too, so on the REcon level, I took pictures of the injuries that I had . propably grossed DDS out , however it was soon after I was approved.

The people at SSA can care less about anyone who has a disability or not. The thing about SSA is not trying to prove to them that you are disabled but that your disabilities prevents you from having ANY gainful employment. This is what SSA is looking for and the only thing that they do care about, if your disabilities will keep you from being gainfully employed in any job market.
This is why they asks those questions about your daily home living routines as in (How often do you clean house, cook, clean the yard, do laundry, drive away from home to shop and ect...). They take that info and relate it to something that can be used in the work force. If this person can clean house then they have no problem standing so they can work as a maid. This is why you have to be careful when you feel out those forms asking about your daily home routine. Again, its not trying to prove to SSA that you are disabled but instead you have to prove that your disabilities does prevent you from having ANY gainful employment anywhere.

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jgrangran (01-15-2011)

that is true for some people- if denied they probably can work, but not the case for others. lots are approved for ssdi that are physically and mentally fit, but still get approved as disabled.
according to the website, and all the questiond on the rfc and other forms - it repeatedly ask about ability to work 6 out of 8 hours, some places 4 out of 8 hours.. some people can work 4 out of 8- but not continuously, they have to change positions at will after a very short time, and often lay down or recline.. what employer is going to hire someone who has to do that?? none i know of. so to scatter 4 hours work over an 8 hour day- employers wont have it.. but yet, even though our dr's fill our rfc saying we can not do it, they still deny us...